I don’t know about you, but someday I plan to retire. As much as I enjoy my work, my husband and I have a long list of places we want to see and not enough time to see them all. So we’ve got to retire to allow us some serious travel time.

For those of us who do plan on retiring, we have got to be planning and saving. In my experience, one of the easiest ways to get started was to join my employer-sponsored retirement plan. As soon as I was eligible, I enrolled in the plan making the minimum contribution required to get the employer match.

Over the years, I’ve heard people say they can’t afford to contribute. But I wonder, how can they afford not to contribute when they could be missing out on the matching contribution their employer may make on their behalf. That’s like walking away from free money!

There are several other benefits to an employer-sponsored retirement plan too:

Your taxes may be lower by making pre-tax contributions to the plan.

Automatic deductions from your paycheck make it easy.

Over time, compound interest can make a big difference in the amount you accumulate.

It’s been many years since I started contributing to my company retirement plan. As a result of regular plan reviews, I’ve made changes and increased my contribution along the way in an effort to keep my plan on track.

Take the time to learn more about the options available to you by talking with a financial professional. ISG Advisors has a team of financial advisors who are available to help you make informed decisions about your financial matters.